Due to the complexities associated with custom web app development and the highly specialized skills needed to complete the project, many businesses have made the decision to outsource. But the big question today is whether to outsource locally or overseas.

If you currently find yourself in this situation, I encourage you to seriously consider outsourcing custom web development locally. Yes, this is typically more expensive; however, keep in mind that you get what you pay for. Here are several reasons why it's worthwhile for your business to partner with a local web app developer versus sending the project overseas:

You're not really "getting the same thing" when you outsource web app development overseas.
Many business owners have the misconception that they are simply getting more bang for their buck when they choose to send custom web app development overseas. A major issue that many businesses run into when they choose to outsource overseas is quality control. Is the code that is being written high quality and original? And with that question being asked, how do you even begin to judge the quality of the developer that would be working on your project? All too often, overseas firms will just feature the work completed by their best developers in their general portfolio. Therefore, a big concern with outsourcing overseas are all of the unknowns. Is it worth saving a few bucks to maybe have an app that meets your needs? That's up to you.

Don't simply compare labor costs to make your decision.
As a business owner, it's easy to use cost as the primary way to compare sourcing locally or overseas. However, it's critical that you factor in the extra time that you will have to invest in managing a major project such as web app development overseas. Be sure to think about the opportunity costs of having to dedicate some extra time to make sure that an offshore project goes smoothly. A recent survey revealed that 62 percent of businesses ended up spending more money than initially expected by outsourcing overseas. With that being said, it's important to not assume that the cost of labor is equal everywhere, because it certainly is not.

Keeping web app development local is ideal for a project that requires a lot of collaboration.
Let's face it. What quality web app development project wouldn't be high touch and require a lot of communication between the business owner, marketing team, product development, and developer? And when you partner with an overseas firm, you risk running into situations where the developers don't understand exactly what you are asking due to language barriers or simply not understanding the context. While face-to-face interactions are often very effective in providing clarification for a project, it would be extremely costly to do this with an overseas firm. If you do choose to outsource offshore, it's absolutely imperative that you have the ability to write extremely specific requirements for your project and expect delays in communication.

Another factor that can play into the communication issues associated with offshore development is the difference in time zones. This may mean having to set your alarm clock for a conference call in the middle of the night when your offshore development team is at work and able to speak.
​
In all, while outsourcing custom web app development may seem to be more cost-effective at first glance, you need to think carefully about the quality of the end-product. By choosing to source locally, you can easily maintain an open stream of communication between your business and the developer and hear proactive solutions to enhance your web app, which will greatly contribute to your business being much more satisfied with the result of the project.